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Denver University (16-6, 6-3) hit the road to face Arkansas-Little Rock (10-13, 7-2), losing a key Sun Belt matchup.
Although there is still over a month left in the regular-season, this matchup between the Denver Pioneers and Arkansas- Little Rock Trojans carries significant ramifications. With the two teams tied in first place in the Sun Belt-West Division, the winner of this game will jump into sole possession of the division lead. With the Trojans winning the first game between these two teams back in December, a victory tonight would give them the tiebreaker, which could be key in such a tightly-contested race.
The Pioneers enter this game on the heels of a 66-52 victory over Arkansas State. Senior guard Brian Stafford is an excellent shooter from the perimeter, averaging a team-high 14.6 ppg on 50.5% shooting from the field. Sophomore forward Chris Udofia is a versatile threat in the paint for the Pioneers, as he is averaging 14.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg.
Arkansas-Little Rock has struggled recently, dropping two of its last three games. The Trojans tend to struggle on the offensive end, scoring 70 points or more only twice in conference play. Senior guard D'Andre Williams is the floor general for UALR, as he leads the team with 11,4 ppg and 4.1 apg.
Game Time/Date: 6:00 p.m. (MT)/ Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012
Location: Jack Stephens Center, Little Rock, Arkansas
TV: Pioneer Vision
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Denver Vs. Arkansas-Little Rock: Pioneers Fall Behind Early, Lose 57-64
The Denver Pioneers (16-6, 6-3) were overmatched on Saturday night, falling to the Ark.-Little Rock Trojans (10-13, 7-2) by a score of 57-64.
Denver started strong, taking a 5-0 lead through the first five minutes of the game, but the Trojans took the lead back with 8 minutes remaining in the half and never let Denver have it back. The Pioneers attempted a late comeback, but efficient free throws from the Trojans kept the Pioneers behind.
UALR also took advantage of a plethora of miscues from the Pioneers, snatching 7 steals and grabbing 17 Pioneer turnovers. Despite that, the Pioneers still got solid contributions from their top three shooters as G Brian Stafford (19 points), G Brett Olson (14 pts) and F Chris Udofia (11 pts) all crossed into double digits. Unfortunately, the efforts proved insufficient to keep the Pioneers from losing the second of their last three games.
The Pioneers will be back in action in February, when they take on the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns this Thursday evening.
Stay tuned to SB Nation College Basketball for all your news and notes from the college basketball world.
Jan 28 10:52p by Bradley Woodrum